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Columnaris Disease

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So I got 2 new Cichlids...after a few days one of them started showing signs of what I thought was Ich. Put him in a quarantine tank and then the 2nd one started showing signs....put him in there too. The first one his lips were all cottony...then his fins, then his eyes...poor thing! Then i went out and came home and had a big blotch on his side. I searched and searched and came to the conclusion it was this....i immediately went to the LFS and got an antibiotic. Needless to say...i just check on him and he did not make it....I am crushed. I have the other one still in the quarantine tank. Tomorrow I am going to put more antibiotic in and then do a 50% water change. I am so afraid to put him back in my 60 gallon with my other 13 Cichlids....i do not want to wipe out my tank.

I have decided not to replace him (only had him less than 2 weeks)...I can't take the heartache of losing another one =(

No I had not heard of the disease.But I just lost a tiger barb to symptoms exactly like your describing.Poor thing battled it for a month.I used anti-biotic and Ick medicine.He got better and worse for 3 weeks.The last week I guess was to much.He got weaker and weaker. when my chichlids could catch him I moved him to another tank.He lasted 2 days in there and went to sleep as I told my son.First fish I have lost in years.We were sad.My young son ask were the fish went.I told him it was sleeping and went to see his mom and dad.

From what I have read, Columnaris is highly contagious. Id keep a very close eye on your tank. Maybe stock up on appropriate meds. Were the 2 new fish quarantined when you brought them home? I quarantine EVERYTHING (including plants!) for 3-4 weeks before introducing to my main tanks.

Everyone is a genius,
but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid
~Albert Einstein

Unfortuantely I did not quarantine them when i brought them home. My 60 gallon seems to be fine but the other one that i put in the quarantine tank a few days ago seems to be going downhill. I have been using Triple Sulfa and Pima Fix.